Serving-table.



E. B. NORA-GON.

SERVING TABLE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY s, 1910.

Patented 1111.3. 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. B. NORA-GON.

SERVING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYVH, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

1H: NORRIS PETERS ca., WASHINGTON, n c.

E. B. NORA-GUN.

SERVING TABLE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 8, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

3 SHEETS-11311! 3.

EVELYN B. NORA-GON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SERVING-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed July 8, 1910. Serial No. 571,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVELYN B. NORA-GON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Serving-Tables, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention consists of a novel construction of serving tabledesigned primar1ly for use auxiliary to ordinary dining tables. Incarrying out the invention, it is contemplated to provide an auxiliartable adapted to rest upon a dining ta le, the former being made instandard sizes to correspond with standard sizes of dining tables, andsufficiently small to leave room on the regular table for plates, cups,silver and other dishes.

The serving table comprises a top adapted to receive thereon certainmain dishes to be used in serving a meal, and any other utensils orreceptacles such as those containing condiments, etc., for general useon the table, the rotatability of the top affording access to thesupported articles by those on opposite sides thereof. The rotatable topis furthermore supported in an especially advantageous manner so that itmay be moved slidably toward and from either end of the main table, andto facilitate the serving of the diners in a manner which will bereadily apparent.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a serving table embodying the essentialfeatures of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewof the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken about on the line 3-3of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a detail view bringing out more clearly, the setscrews connecting the carriage and supporting track with the pedestal;Fi 5 is a detail view of the spring catch for ho ding the top andcarriage supported thereon at a central point in the length of thetrack.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

Describing the invention specifically, and referring particularly to thedrawings, it will be observed that the serving table comprisesessentially a base 1 from which proects upwardly a pedestal consistingof a tubular vertically arranged body 2, surmounted by a cap piece 3,the latter receiving the upper portion of the body 2 and overlapping ahorizontal plate ithrough the central portion of which passes a bolt 5,the lower end of which is screwed into a threaded opening in the base 1,as shown at 6.

Mounted on the pedestal 2 in a detachable.

manner are spaced bars 7 havin upwardly extending end portions 8, saidars carrying set screws 9 pivoted at their upper ends to the bars, asshown at 9. The set screws are adapted to swing into notches 10 atopposite sides of the cap piece 3 of the pedestal 2, and by suitableadjustment of nuts 11 screwed upon the lower ends of the set screws itwill be apparent that the bars 7 may be securely held in position on thepedestal, but readily detached.

The bars 7 support spaced rails 12 secured to the extensions 8 on theinner sides thereof by means of any suitable fastenings such as screws13. The rails 12 are of somewhat U-form in cross section, and said railsare connected at their opposite ends by end bars 14. The rails 12constitute a track on which is mounted a carriage, said carriagecomprising a pair of axles 15 having rollers 16 mounted on theiropposite ends so as to travel on the rails 12 in a manner distinctlyshown in Fig. 2. .The axles 15 are rigidly connected together by endcross pieces 16 and intermediate cross pieces 17, said cross piecesaffording a rigid frame for the carriage. The cross pieces 17 of thecarriage have flanged plates 18 secured thereto and similar plates areattached also to the axles 15 centrally of their ends, the severalplates 18 being attached to a bearing or hollow sup ortm member 19 onwhich the top '20 of t 1e table is directly supported. The supportingmember 19 may be a hollow casting or similar structure and is formedwith an outer race-way 19 and an inner race-way 19". The race-ways 19and 19" are concentrically arranged with reference to each other andwith reference to a central axis or pin 21 which projects from thecentral prised by the rails 12.

portion of the table 20 downwardly into the supporting member 19. Aseries of ball bearings 22 are mounted in the race-way 19' and operatein a similar race-way of a wearplate 23 attached to the under side ofthe top 20. Another series of ball bearings 24 are mounted in therace-way 19 of the supporting member 19 and are held in said raceway bya nut 25 adjustable by means of its threaded connection with the lowerend portion of the pin 21. The main weight of the top 20 of the servingtable is supported upon the antifriction bearings 22 above described,while another row ofv bearings 24'. are so arranged with reference tothe adjusting nut 25 as to afford a convenient means for taking up lostmotion, the arrangement of both the inner and outer sides of theanti-friction bearings being advantageous in causing the top 20 torotate smoothly.

If desired the top 20 may be provided with an electrical heaterconsisting of a surface heating plate 26 countersunkin the upper surfaceof the top and beneath which is arranged a heating pad 27 connected inany suitable manner with an electric current, and preferably by means ofthe flexible cord 28.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that not only is the top 20permitted to rotate freely, but said top is movable with the carriage bywhich it is supported so as to approach either end of the track com-Furthermore, the top 18 rotatable at any point in the length of thetrack, rendering conveniently accessible all articles which may bearranged upon the top.

To facilitate removal of the superstructure of the table from the baseand its body, the nuts 11 may be loosened with respect to the set screws9 and the carriage with the top readily removed from the table to permitthe changing of the linen or for any other purpose.

Another advantageous feature of the iiivention resides in the provisionat opposite ends of the carriage of means for normally holding thecarriage with the top 20 at a point about central of the length of thetrack, it being obvious the top will ordinarlly be most convenient toall diners at the main table when arranged about at the center of saidtable.

For the above purpose, the end cross pleces 16 of the carriage havemounted thereon spring actuated plungers 29 carried in suitable casings30 attached to the end pieces 16", and said plungers are adapted toengage in recesses of plates 31 secured to the upper sides of each rail12. As the top 20 is moved back and forth on the track, the plungers 29will engage the plates 31 when the carriage reaches a point central ofthe length of the track. The engagement of the plungers 29 with theplates 31 is a yielding one however permitting the top to be readilymoved by exerting a slight pressure thereon longitudinally with respectto the track.

From the foregoing it will be observed that in its general constructionthe present invention embodies an auxiliary serving table especiallydesigned to be placed upon an ordinary dining table. Having in View theparticular purpose of this invention, the base of the auxiliary tablemust necessarily be made comparatively small so as not to interfere witharticles placed upon a main dining table. Furthermore, special noveltyis claimed for the structure of the present invention with regardespecially to the provision of stop means such as the plungers 29whereby in the ordinary use of the serving table, the rotatable top willbe stopped at a central point in the length of the track 12 when the topis moved along the track in the operation of serving diners. Anotherdesirable feature resides in the provision of means whereby thesuperstructure of the auxiliary table, including the supporting bars 7and the parts directly carried thereon, may be readily and quicklydetached from the base 1 and pedestal 2 for the purpose hereinbefore setforth.

It is to be understood that the serving table above described will bemade in difierent sizes, and it is contemplated that various changes inthe detail construction as heretofore specified may be made according tothe broad spirit of the invention, as provided by the scope of the claimhereto appended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In an auxiliary serving table, the combination of a comparatively smallbase adapted to rest upon the middle portion of a dining table, apedestal projecting upwardly therefrom, a cap piece detachably mountedon the pedestal and projecting outwardly from the upper end of thelatter, spaced supporting bars resting upon the cap piece, a trackcomprlsmg spaced rails carried on the opposite ends of the supportingbars,

said bars having upturned end portions .seated against the outer sidesof the rails, a

carriage comprising a frame and rollers journaled thereto, the latteradapted to operate along the track, end bars connecting the oppositeends of the rails and forming means for limiting the movement of thecarriage thereon, a revolving top supported on the frame of thecarriage, a spindle projecting downwardly from the center of said topand detachably connected with the frame of the carriage, anti-frictionbearings interposed between the carriage frame and spindle, and

stop devices arranged at points centrally of the ends of the track andengageable with the carriage during the movement of the In testimonywhereof I affix my signature latter on the trackb to brinlgl thecarriage to a in presence of tWo Witnesses,

sto at a point su stantia above the base, T e T the members detachablyco necting the sup- EVELYN ORA'GOI\ 5 porting bars and cap piecepermitting said Witnesses:

supportin bars and superstructure thereon ALTA NoRA-GoN,

to be bodiTy removed from the pedestal. C. L. GATES.

